Introduction:
The Platform 2 is a dystopian thriller released in 2024 with Spain as the setting, the director of this film is Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, it should be noted that the plot is planned as both a sequel and prequel to the film of 2019 titled The Platform. If that is so, the original film was an effective one with viewers getting to see resourcefulness, despair, as well as social political satire set in bowels–like prison space called ‘The Pit’.
In this follow-up, the plot continues the oppressive universe laid down in the first movie adding new characters and developing themes of survival, ethics,s and social order. A new cast in The Platform 2 includes Milena Smit and Hovik Keuchkerian with the film’s plot sending chills while discussing the shades of human nature under pressure.
Release Date:
The second platform, Platform 2, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on the 10th of September, 2024, the movie was then released to the public on the 6th of October, 2024 on Netflix. The film received a lot of hype because it was the sequel and because the themes dealt with current issues.
Crew:
| Role | Name/s |
|---|---|
| Director | Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia |
| Producer | Carlos Juárez, Raquel Perea |
| Story Writer | David Desola, Pedro Rivero, Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, Egoitz Moreno |
| Editor | Haritz Zubillaga |
| Music Director | Aitor Etxebarria |
Cast:
| Character Name | Actor/Actress |
|---|---|
| Perempuan | Milena Smit |
| Zamiatin | Hovik Keuchkerian |
| Sahabat | Natalia Tena |
| Trimagasi | Zorion Eguileor |
| Goreng | Iván Massagué |
| Dagin Babi | Óscar Jaenada |
| Imoguiri | Antonia San Juan |
Story:
The film continues the story of The Pit, a vertical prison with 333 tiers that turned into a prison where inmates are to be fed and supplied on competition basic needs. Every month or so the prisoners are redistributed at random through the various levels, which makes it so that those at a higher level can get their fill while those below are starving.
Key Characters
- Perempuan (Milena Smit): Anti-hero, a new innate who becomes the protagonist. She is difficult and will do what she needs to survive in the unforgiving environment that is The Pit.
- Zamiatin (Hovik Keuchkerian): A large man for whom Perempuan becomes a friend or who befriends her. Their relationship is deepened by his difficulty to understand how the pecking order is this deadly, in prison.
- Robespierre: A mature prisoner who tries to bring order to the prison since inmates should be treated equally but has problems on both sides of the social class lines.
- Dagin Babi: An unknown figure of the Loyalists with a blindfold that represents the darkness of The Pit’s society at that time.
When Perempuan and Zamiatin start their experience from level 24 they are introduced to the norms of the Pit. They encounter various factions: On the side of types:
- The Loyalists are very much like dogs that think they have to follow a strict diet.
- The Barbarians will eat whatever they can lay their hands on. It gets worse because there are debates on who should be given food and how should the group continue to survive.
Some of the colored topics that can be brought out include; avarice, selflessness, and the endless cycle that is violence. The news reached Perempuan about “The Master”, a legendary figure, who once existed and lasted the worst conditions in The Pit, pretty much reflects about principles and complex moralities that Perempuan also faces while trying to remain human.
Review:
The Platform 2 has been well/has/has not been well welcomed by critics. While some people like the fact that it is a complex and trying to be philosophical movie others state that it does not bring enough news or has not as powerful an effect as the first movie.
Positives:
- Visual Style: However, the film does not lose the look of The Pit and the cinematography improves its themes, retaining a dark aesthetic.
- Expanded World-Building: The Platform 2 adds more characters and factions into the game which offers a broader perspective of the dark world in the game.
- Social Commentary: Its issues can be felt to be considered with the contemporary society issues like inequality and behavior of humans under certain fear.
Negatives:
- Pacing Issues: The weakness in activities that were largely described by others as compelling was that they seemed to prolong some sequences beyond reasonable expectations or even be repetitive.
- Character Development: While the characters Hugo, Gustave, and Monsieur Topol are quite developed others such as Madame Gondloff are not well developed as such their motives do not make such a big impact.
- Repetitive Themes: A few critics complained that The Platform 2 provides pretty limited elements which may be more of a continuation of the first movie.
Technical Aspects:
- This Platform 2 is approximately ninety-five to one hundred and five minutes long; the dynamics of characters can be studied, along with the pace of the narrative being kept fairly fast.
- Cinematography: They such a talented cinematographer of José David Montero that the representation of The Pit’s atmosphere and the characters’ affairs’ passion are credited to him. Lighting is used to juxtapose moments of hope with moments of despair, though the latter is a much more frequently repeated theme.
- Direction: The director of Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia is characterized by a combination of the fantastic horrific genre with an indication of the main social problem. What he effectively achieves is a mix of suspense and provocative mood, as well as tension during the whole shoot.
- Editing: The editing is quite good throughout yet it stammers a little when it comes to cuts between scenes. Only some can stand to have tighter cuts to help aid in narrative continuity and such.
Performance:
- Milena Smit as Perempuan: The film stars Milena Smit as Perempuan who proved a lively performer with incredible screen presence. HeRuleBreaker She portrays strength and weakness in her character whenever solving moral issues. Smit can explain or perform complicated emotions, giving colors to her role play as a female survivor in a hostile world.
- Hovik Keuchkerian as Zamiatin: I found Hovik Keuchkerian outstanding in the part of Zamiatin: his play demonstrates genuine physicality and interiority. His portrayal is the triumph to reflect concerned life in The Pit with an affinity to Perempuan as depicted by Zamiatin.
- Supporting Cast: About most of the characters, there is meaty support; still, the characters’ depth or the lack of it can affect audience reception rather significantly.
Moviepoptime Review:
The title of this review is said to be useful for deciphering the denouement if one is irritated by it. If you enjoyed the first movie then there is no question you should watch this one. Although the effects may not be very professional the message of the film is quite good. Whether you believe in any one or the other, a belief has to be questioned. The movie shows the audience how people change their stand knowing that they are being opposed. The story is prequel conclusively to the first movie, if you did not like the frustrating and confusing end of the movie – you should skip this one.
Justice’s ending in this one is much less black and white than the last one, isn’t it? Although I had never preferred the gore and violence necessary to pull off sending the message, it is an extreme mean that makes the message even more explicit. This credits section after the two endings fully clarifies both the plot and ending of each of these films just a tad more. Perhaps, several pages can be dedicated to the film’s ending, nonetheless, I adored it.
Conclusion:
The Platform 2 can be seen as a logical continuation of the visual progress of the first film developing the theme of survival from a dystopia perspective. It does a better job than its predecessor in terms of looking artistic and having themes that are much more profound but also suffers from problems with pacing together with predictability which plays against it.
Nevertheless, these problems can hardly be called cardinal, given the fact that Platform 2 remains topical within the contemporary culture which is more or less focused on the issues related to inequality and people’s behavior. Its portrayal of community is timely and still relatable even to people who might find parts of themselves and their fight in members of the cast.
All in all, The Platform 2 is a must-watch for lovers of dystopian sci-fi who primarily focus on characters trying to navigate different terms of moral hopelessness. Thanks to its streaming on Netflix it reaches the audience that is keen on watching films that evoke certain reflections on the life and culture of today’s society. By the time Perempuan is steering through the moralities and her character transformation, the audience is challenged to think more about society’s possibility of compassion in the era of high levels of polarization — indicating the film’s prescience in answering the ongoing addressing of justice and representation today.
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